This invention relates generally to clothes drying systems, and, more particularly, to non-tumbling drying aids for clothes dryers.
An appliance for drying articles, such as a clothes dryer for drying clothing, typically includes an exterior cabinet and internal rotating drum for tumbling clothes and laundry articles therein. One or more heating elements heats air prior to air entering the drum, and the warm air is circulated through the dryer as the clothes are tumbled to remove moisture from the laundry articles contained in the drum. As is widely known in the art, this process is continued for either a pre-established time period or until a sensor system signals that the clothing articles are dried to a desired level.
In addition to basic clothing articles, a clothes dryer is sometimes used to dry other wearable articles such as sneakers or shoes and the like. Tumbling such articles increases noise of operation of the dryer; and, because such articles have internal cavities into which the heated air does not readily flow, tumbling does not tend to facilitate improving dryer efficiency or decreasing drying time. A user may also have a need to dry other items, such as delicate articles, for which tumbling is not desired. In at least some clothes dryers, a removable shelf is provided to address these special needs. In use, the shelf is attached to a stationary part of the dryer interior. When not in use, the shelf must be stored outside of the dryer which creates an inconvenience. It would be advantageous to provide a more convenient and more flexible drying arrangement for such specialty articles.